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The Major League of Indoor Football

2023 Championship

The 2023 IFL National Championship served as the championship game of the Indoor Football League season and capped one of the most remarkable turnarounds in league history. Played on August 5, 2023, at The Dollar Loan Center, the Bay Area Panthers defeated the Sioux Falls Storm, 51–41, to capture the franchise’s first IFL National Championship.

The victory completed a stunning rise for the Panthers, who had finished the 2022 season with just one win, before storming through the 2023 postseason to claim the league’s top prize.

Game Recap

Bay Area entered the championship after defeating the Northern Arizona Wranglers in the Western Conference Championship, while Sioux Falls advanced by overcoming the Frisco Fighters to win the Eastern Conference title.

The Panthers set the tone early, taking a 13–7 lead in the opening quarter before delivering a decisive second-quarter surge. Bay Area outscored Sioux Falls 21–13 in the period, building a 34–20 halftime advantage behind efficient offense and timely defensive stops.

Sioux Falls mounted a push in the third quarter, cutting the deficit to 37–34 on a 2-yard touchdown run by quarterback Lorenzo Brown. Bay Area responded immediately, as kicker Craig Peterson connected on a 28-yard field goal, restoring momentum and extending the lead.

The Panthers put the game away in the fourth quarter. Quarterback Dalton Sneed found JT Stokes for a touchdown pass, and moments later, defensive back Marquise Bridges intercepted a pass from Brown and returned it for a touchdown, pushing the lead to 51–34. The Storm added late points, but the outcome was firmly in hand as Bay Area closed out the championship.

Sneed delivered a dominant dual-threat performance and was named IFL National Championship MVP. He completed 10 of 11 passes for 106 yards and two touchdowns, while adding 47 rushing yards and three rushing scores, accounting for five total touchdowns in the title game.

The victory capped a 13–5 overall season for Bay Area and a perfect 3–0 postseason run, transforming the Panthers from a one-win team in 2022 into IFL National Champions in 2023—one of the most dramatic single-season turnarounds in league history.